U.S. Customs Won’t Necessarily Cooperate with Arizona’s New Immigration Law

Add U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, to the long (and growing!) list of opponents to Arizona’s polarizing immigration policy. According to The Arizona Republic, “John Morton, who heads U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona officials. The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, not a patchwork of state laws, he said.”

Morton’s disapproval differs from the stance of, say, Apollonic Arizona bureaucrat Gary Pierce. Morton’s agency “handles detentions and deportations,” according to Politico’s Ben Smith, which means that his opinion—again, unlike that of Pierce—actually matters. Smith also adds, “Morton's position also appears aimed at undercutting the argument from the state law's advocates that it is harmonious with existing federal law.”